Constitutionalist Imperial League
The Constitutionalist Imperial League (CIL) is a conservative parliamentary alliance that groups together several conservative parties which decide to poll their votes together in order to gain a greater share of the electorate. Historically, its member parties were the Geharon Conservative Party and the Utagian Loyalist Caucus but today they consist of the Lutheran Legitimist Party and the Orangeist Action Party. Leadership Leadership of the league is shared by a number of positions. Following the year 3007, there have been many reforms within the party leadership. Grandmaster To honor the sovereign and because the CIL defends the interests of the monarchy as an institution in the Diet, the current Emperor is always the League Grandmaster. This office is purely ceremonial and has no real power or influence over the actual happenings in the CIL. Prince Elector (defunct) Prior to the 3007 reforms, the then Duke of Geharon was automatically the Prince Elector of the League. The office was mostly ceremonial and only had limited emergency executive powers. This office is now defunct. Majority Leader (defunct) Prior to the 3007 reforms, the leader of the party that managed to win a majority of the seats on the governing board automatically became Majority Leader. The name became misleading has often in the end of the 30th century, no party had a real majority and the Majority Leader's party actually held only a plurality of seats. This office is now defunct. Board of Directors (defunct) Prior to the 3007 reforms, the Governing Board was the legislative body of the League. It voted on the League's policy and political actions. There were twenty seats on the board with 4 seats per duchy. Simple laws required the support of a simple majority of seats while constitutional changes required the support of 2/3 (13 seats) of the board to be official party policy. As mentioned previously, the leader of the Board's governing party (or faction) was majority leader and thus the de facto leader of the League. This body is now defunct Conclave The Conclave is the current legislative body of the Constitutionalist Imperial League. Established during the 3007 reforms, it reflects the rightward shift that the CIL took at that occasion. It consists of fifty trustees, ten per duchy, who must be members of the League's parties. This is a great departure from the Board of Governors, which permitted many independents to earn membership. The parties are free to impose whatever rules they want concerning the election of their trustees but they must follow the League rule that no commoner may be a trustee. This means that all who sit in the Conclave must be either aristocrats or clergymen. Chairman The Chairman, whose official title is Chairman of the Conclave, is one of the trustees and has considerable power over the Conclave. Indeed, while the Conclave establishes the CIL's position on issue (with a simple majority) and proposes the CIL's bills (with a 30 member majority), the Chairman sets his party's agenda and its trustees are obliged to follow his vote most of the time. Platform Since the 3007 reforms, the CIL has implemented a stricter, more conservative agenda. Monarchism The League has a very strong monarchist platform, dedicated to the Imperial form of government and the continuation of the Holy Luthori Empire. As an official member of the Imperial Alliance and the International Monarchist League, the CIL prides itself in supporting the monarch of Luthori. As the representative of the monarchy, the CIL defends the interests of the institution in the Diet. The CIL as a whole advocates that the Emperor be given significantly more power and that executive power be gradually shifted wholly to the Privy Council. The overall view varies from the LLP's support for casi-absolute monarchy to the OAP's more moderate approach. Conservatism As of the 3007 reforms, conservatism is the official position of both of the CIL's parties, with the OAP being moderate conservative and the LLP being ultra-conservative. Above all, the CIL believes that any change from the status quo ante must be extremely slow and gradual. The only rapid change that is permissible is change that goes back to the status quo ante. In more concrete terms, both terms support a free market economy with minimal government intervention, because regulations and the public sector are associated with socialism and progressivism, the arch-enemies of the parliamentary group. Both parties will also espouse a strong support for religion, specifically the Church of Luthori as well as being militaristic, expansionist and tough on law and order. Parties The composition of the League has varied over time, but usually there are two dominant parties. Geharon Conservative Party (defunct) The Geharon Conservative Party originated in Geharon as a conservative organization led by the marquesses of Williamsbrough of the House Jackson. With William Jackson's elevation to the title of Duke and Franz Jackson's elevation to that of Prince, the GCP's influence grew. Despite representing a more moderate platform in the past, today, the Geharon Conservative Party represents an ultra-traditionalist point of view which also seeks to significantly limit the government's influence in the economy. The GCP is a radical monarchist party, with a substantial portion of its membership supporting a return to absolute monarchy. Tyrian lance has significant influence over the GCP. This party is now defunct. Utagian Loyalist Caucus (defunct) The ULC evolved out of the remnants of the Homeland & Liberty and Luthori Free-Marketeer Action as a more liberal party, led by the nobles of House Rannigan, who were soon given the Duchy of Utagia to rule. Today, the ULC represents free-market fundamentalism, opposing any and all government intervention in the economy. Socially, it is broadly liberal, with moderate branches and radical branches, which support the ideals of social darwinism. The ULC is in general very isolationist and regularly leads the charge against international law. it also seeks to severely limit immigration, which gives Tyrian Lance some influence, although not as much as it has over the GCP. This party is now defunct. Lutheran Legitimist Party The Lutheran Legitimist Party, formed in 3007, considers itself as a direct successor to the Royal Aristocratic Party and the Covenanters and represents the Luthorian far-right. It describes itself as a ultra-conservative and traditionalist movement whose three pillars are Lutheranism, Ultra-Monarchism and Reactionism. In practice, this means the LLP wishes to return to the status quo ante on most if not all issues and its official line is that legislative power should be shared between the Commons, Nobles and Crown, executive power should be the sole privilege of the Sovereign and Aristocracy while the Landed Classes should share Judicial power with the Clergy, it is also very concerned about maintaining the competitiveness and meritocratic nature of the nobility. Policy wise, the LLP supports a market economy, protectionism, social and religious conservatism, jingoism and nationalism. The Legitimists receive strong support from the Landed and High Nobility (Tyrian Lance), the Factory Owners, members of the Church (both High and Low) and Military as well as from rural voters. The Party is governed by a High Council, whose members are sent by the various constituencies of the party and which is led by a Prior. This process can hardly be called democratic since certain constituencies (made up of small numbers of high ranked aristocrats) are given precedence over others, but then again, the Legitimists openly campaign against democracy and their most hardline members even support the abolition of a legislature and a return to absolute monarchy. The LLP's trustees who sit in the Conclave are usually powerful landed nobles or aristocratic business leaders. However, there are a number of Clergymen as well. Orangeist Action Party The Orangeist Action Party, formed in 3007, is a classical conservative party that places a particular importance on the promotion of the interests of Orangemen, that is Protestants in the Holy Luthori Empire. Whereas the LLP dominates the High Church, the OAP manages to split the Low Church vote with the LLP (and other parties naturally). It is royalist in nature, supporting the interests of the Protestant monarch and believing that the people should maintain legislative power while the Emperor assumes executive power. Policy wise, the OAP supports a complete free market economy, free trade, some social conservative views, militarism and patriotism. Its support draws primarily from the Merchant nobility, financial and shipping sector capitalists, members of the Low Church, the entrepreneurial class and middle class voters.. The Party is governed by an elected Board of Directors which is more or less democratically elected, although financial and merchant noble interests are weighed more favorably than others. Because ot has support from the Low Church, the OAP occasionally sends clergymen as trustees but the massive majority of its representatives at the Conclave are financially orientated aristocrats. Current League Officials There are a number of important positions within the League, that change according to the power structure: *'Chairman' - vacant ''- The head of the League legislative assembly and the de facto leader of the party. *'External Liaison Officer''' - HIH, The Prince Laap (I) - The official figure representative of the League to foreign interests, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee. *'Internal Liaison Officer' - His Grace, Marcus Rannigan, 9th Duke of Utagia (ULC) - The official figure representative of the League to domestic interests, head of the Domestic Affairs Committee. *'Axis Executive Officer' - The Rt Hon. Lord Edmund Rengstein, 24th Earl of Oalapo (GCP) - The official in charge with Axis liaison, appointed by the majority leader and head of the Axis Executive Committee. *'UCF Executive Officer' - Sir Nathan Cadwell (I) - The acting governor of the UCF on behalf of the League. Head of the UCF Executive Committee. *'League Whip' - The Rt Hon. Lord Filius Kent, 4th Earl of Middenhall (I) - The official in charge of making sure League politicians and parties do not deviate from the official CIL stance set by the current majority leader. He is also head of the League Ordnance Committee. *'Parliamentary Judicial Officer' - Solicitor Sir John Bonette (GCP) - The official in charge of verifying the constitutionality of party policy as well as advising the CIL in regards to judicial matters. head of the Parliamentary Judicial Committee and thus highest ranking League justice on the Supreme Court. *'IULAC sitting Committee Member' - The Rt Hon. Millard Hackamore, MP KVH (GCP) - The CIL sitting member on the Imperial Un-Luthorian Affairs Committee- *'IROC sitting Committee Members' - The Rt Hon Karl Heimann, MP KVH (GCP) & The Rt Hon. Sean Stewart III (ULC) - The CIL sitting members on the Imperial Regional Oversight Committee Committees The CIL has a number of committees to facilitate the day to day administration of the party. These committees run in close colaboration with the government, of which many committee members are part of, when the League is in governemnt. League Executive Committee The League Executive Committee is the Committee in charge of executing the orders of the Board and Majority Leader in regards to league policy. It is headed by the Majority Leader. Foreign Affairs Committee The Foreign Affairs Committee is in charge of all liaison, communication and diplomacy with parties and nations outside of the Terran Empire. It is headed by External Liaison Officer. Domestic Affairs Committee The Internal Affairs Committee is in charge of all liaison, communication and diplomacy with parties and nations that are part of the Terran Empire. It is headed by the Internal Liaison Officer. Axis Executive Committee The Axis Executive Committee is in charge of relaying the orders of the Axis Chairman and the Axis Executive Officer, who acts as a bureaucrat and secretary to the Chairman. Membership on this committee is largely symbolic. UCF Executive Committee The UCF Executive Committee is in charge of representing League interests in the UCF and includes the League UCF governor and his subordinates. Unlike the Axis Executive Committee, this committee holds real power. League Ordnance Committee Also called the "whip assembly", all League whips are members of the LOC. This includes three whips for each party, with a total of nine, including three Party whips and one League Whip who chairs the Committee. Parliamentary Judicial Committee The Parliamentary Judicial Committee is the committee which is in charge of all legal matters pertaining to League politics. All Leage Supreme Court justices are members with the Parliamentary Judicial Officer being the highest ranking League justice. Leaders Here is a complete list of all the former Electors of the League: His Grace, William Jackson I, 1st Duke of Geharon (2691-2733) Sir Dale Primo, Lord of Hexington (2733-2737) His Grace, Franz Jackson I, 2nd Duke of Geharon (2737-2790) His Imperial Highness Prince William Jackson II, 3rd Duke of Geharon (2790-2825) His Imperial Highness, Prince Richard Jackson I, 4th Duke of Geharon (2825-2881) His Imperial Highness, Prince Richard Jackson II, 5th Duke of Geharon (2881-2924) His Imperial Highness, Prince Edward Jackson I, 6th Duke of Geharon (2924-present) Category:Luthori Category:Luthori Parties